Sometimes it’s more than Monday blues and work-related stress that bogs you down. If you struggle with depression, there are days when even getting out of bed is a challenge.

On days when you feel down, what do you do? How do you go about your day?

Motivating yourself can be tough. That’s why we recommend following these simple and easy steps so you can get through your day without feeling like you haven’t achieved anything.

Set Small Attainable Goals

While establishing goals can be helpful for driving motivation, at times if the goals are too lofty, they may feel overwhelming or too intimidating.

Many people in our study shared that starting small can be one of the best ways to motivate movement. Start with a 10-minute walk, or a 10-minute stretch, and see where that takes you!

Find an Accountability Buddy

During emotionally challenging times motivating oneself to do anything can be hard and many cope by isolating.

Another way to begin engaging in physical activity and to break out of the isolation bubble, can be to find an accountability buddy.

Choose someone whose presence brings you joy and partner up to engage in movement. Our participants shared that during times when they couldn’t motivate themselves having another person to rely on made all the difference.

Find the Setting That Is Right For You

Our participants shared that various exercise settings, whether it be the gym, the yoga studio, or at home, could trigger varying types of emotions.

For example, many women expressed that yoga offered a safe space, freed of judgment and filled with body positivity, whereas other settings, like the gym, made some individuals feel pressured to look and move in a specific way.

When thinking about re-engaging in physical activity, find a movement setting that will lift you up.

Choose a Form of Movement That Suits Your Emotional Needs

Various types of movement have differing impacts on emotional states. For example, yoga can soothe and relax whereas cardio-based exercise can be more energizing.

On the other hand, resistance training can be empowering or grounding. Note what your specific emotional and physical needs are before selecting a type of movement. If you are feeling depressed maybe a short burst of yoga could provide a soothing internal sanctuary.

Connect To a Community

Surround yourself with other like-minded women that empower you to meet your goals. In this day and age, it is easy to become sucked into toxic exercise culture.

Many of the women in our study expressed that engaging with a community of non-judgmental women made a big difference for them in finding an exercise regimen that worked. This could come in the form of joining a running or walking club or trying out a new yoga or group fitness studio.

Create a Sustainable Routine

It is easy to stay inside or in bed when feeling depressed. Many of our participants shared that creating a routine that was sustainable played a key role in motivating them to become active during emotionally challenging times.

Once you find a type of movement that suits your emotional needs, consider integrating it into your daily or weekly schedule and stick with it! But be kind to yourself and know that healthy habits are dynamic and that if the routine you create stops working that it is ok to change it up.

These are a few things you can do to motivate yourself when you’re feeling depressed and fatigued.

Phil O'Neill recounts his childhood memories and growing up in a family that was related to Dennis O’Neill, the inspiration behind Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap”. It’s a tragic tale of a young boy who lost his life at the hands of his foster parents. Phil believes this had an impact on the family’s mental well-being and could have been the reason for his own mental health problems.

He expresses himself through poetry and tells readers about his own struggles in his book, “Poems From the Unconscious” which is now available on amazon.